Team-BHP
(
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)
Epilogue
The first thing I did after parking my Fiesta was to leap out and check the damage. It was a right side impact towards the front side. Half of the bumper looked like crumpled tissue paper. The wheel cap was missing. The bonnet had a very nice looking symmetrical dent. The side component (don't know what it is called) just above the wheel had a lovely looking dent. And the right indicator circuit had gone for a toss..beeping about million times a second. :Frustrati
The Story
15 minutes earlier I was stationed very calmly right at front of a signal. Returning from office, window down, radio blaring, tapping the steering, I was in no hurry. The moment I saw the green flashing, nicely stepped on the pedal. Take me home, city roads (Apologies to Mr. Denver).
And then...
:Shockked:
This son-of-a-gun Tavera cabbie with those terrifying yellow plates, rushing at right angles to me decides to make a dash. I am quite certain t-bhpians living in Gurgaon would vouch for the gentle manner of these cabbies. Gentle as hell they are my friends. As hell. And hell hath no fury.
With all his fury, he was about give the Fiesta a taste of what toppling over feels like. To be attacked by a monster twice your size and be sent in a spin; so that the next time you hold the steering, a queer little shudder engulfs you is no exciting propostion. In a fraction of a second, we caught each other's eyes (how romantic!)...he steered hard right. I steered hard left...
His bull guard bumper comes right at me and hits my right front wheel with a great bang! I didn't hear no bang. I was too terrified. But I guess I must write to Ford about their excellent NVH levels. All I saw was my front wheel cap spinning into air for the occasion.
The monster Tavera and the humble Ford come to a stop at that busy intersection. But we were in luck! The intersection hosts a little police post. Both of us saw the law-abiding, sensitive COPS coming to our rescue.
I admit I was slower. He rushed off first! I followed pursuit. Pursuit off from the bloody Haryana Police! Shoot first, ask questions later variety!
Reached my place 15 mins later. As I surveyed the damage, the bloody cleansing tissues in my eyes went on an overdrive. Tears, I believe they are called...
Conslusion
Ford wallas built up a bill of 23K. Out of which 13K was labor. I was made to pay 4.5k. I got her as back as new. But she knows...
I have failed her.
Sorry to hear that EngineOil. Certainly, body damage if any can be repaired and the car is as good as new, but the mental trauma that we go through and the monetary loss that we have to bear that too for no fault of ours is most disturbing. Anyways what has happened has happened and i hope you are fine and that your car is going great now.:)
Thank god the dent was only 4.5K...
Regardless of the cost etc of repairs, why did you run from the cops? You could have easily obtained insurance information from the cabbie and had his company settle the claim! The police would have helped you with the same!
4.5K doesn't seem too bad after reading the incident as you've described it. The best thing is that she is as good as new.
The cabbie simply got away or did cops get hold of him?
Are you telling me that you let the cabbie go scot free. This will only embolden the fellows to mess around with others in cars wieghing less than his. Imagine what he would do to you if the roles were reversed and you had banged into him.
Do unto others what you would expect them to do to you is the policy I strictly adhere to!!!
a sorry tale EngineOil!! :Frustrati
i know how these moron cabbies rule the road and "obey all traffic rules". hope she gets back to her true self asap.
dont be disheartened my car also got a hit today and the sad part is it was parked on the side of the road and i was out grocery shopping. dont know what happened but i have a dent in the rear. i have learned that there are some ****ty people out there who dont know how to drive and we have to live with their nuisance.
The first accident that I loved to read about. Awesome writing EngineOil. I hope the future posts are as good, but on different topics. :)
Sorry to hear about the damage, but I am equally happy to hear that you are satisfied with the repair quality. Even when the lights are green and / or you have right of way, Indian driving conditions make it a must to check for others coming your way.
You did what?:Shockked: Unbelievable. You didn't have to. You should have caught hold of the errant cabbie and given him the thrash of his life. I would've wringed his neck. And pray, why did run off the cops? You were in the right, weren't you?
And yes you've certainly failed her and the TBHP too; by running away and let go off a culprit although you were in the right..
Quote:
Originally Posted by EngineOil
(Post 1062857)
I admit I was slower. He rushed off first! I followed pursuit. Pursuit off from the bloody Haryana Police! Shoot first, ask questions later variety!
I have failed her.
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Feels bad to even read about that. But it's important that she's back as good as new.
Quote:
Eddy  : Awesome writing EngineOil. I hope the future posts are as good, but on different topics. :)
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+1 to that. The writing style had all the ingredients of being a pot-boiler.
What you did to the Blody cabbies ...
Good narration. I'm sorry about the accident, glad that no one got hurt. But then like everyone i'm also confused about what happenned to the cabbie. Should have caught him and given a piece of your mind :deadhorseand ofcourse file a complaint with the police for rash and negligent driving. This would have been easier, since you had the cops witness to the entire incident. Being a taxi you could have definitely got something for the loss you incurred from the taxi operator. There drivers need to be taught a lesson. Here in Mumbai, some of the cabbies seem to be the direct descendants of Michael Schumacher minus the skill and brain.
The only good thing about this whole mess is that it made you write a post here - Man, EngineOil, you are an awesome writer. Please do PM me your blog if you have one..or if you write elsewhere.
Yellow boards, Taveras..that's a deadly combination. I don't know why, but I always expect a moron like that to pop up from somewhere when it comes to such intersections. And that's why I'm always extremely slow to start off if I am first in front of a green signal. Even then, once I narrowly missed hitting a bike who was a in real hurry to get back home as it had started raining.
Sorry to know about the accident. Yep, she'll have the scars but she has a heart. She'll forgive :-).
Thanks a lot for you support guys. It was only body damage and since the car was in its first year, the insurance company bore the brunt to a good extent.
In hindsight, I feel I should not have run away from there. But like all of us I have also had bad experiences with these cops. The fact that the cabbie simply escaped fast meant there was no point in breaking my head with them. They'd only be interested in fleecing both the cabbie and I.
Anyway, that the damage (4.5k) was manageable is some consolation. Rightly said GTO; I have suddenly become very cautious at intersections!
I guess it has left me safer driver at the very best and a little poorer at the worst :)
Why not post the cabbie's address and like good neighbors, we'll do our little bit of help :D
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